Zhu Yourong walked gently, looking very happy, because finally someone supported her to stick to Nanjing. And this person was also the head of the Ming Dynasty's officials. She stopped, looked at everyone with a smile, and said:
"My dear friends, do you know why I don't leave?"
Everyone was cursing in their hearts, thinking that it was not the evil wind blown by Shen Rongxuan. But what Shen Rongxuan was planning was unknown. He is the chief minister, and if His Majesty does not leave, he will be the first to leave. Could it be that he Are you sure you can keep Nanjing's defense line intact?
Zhu Yourong glanced at Shen Rongxuan and said with satisfaction:
"It's very simple. The Yangtze River Defense Line is an iron chain, and Nanjing is the most critical and strongest link on it. It cannot and should not be disconnected from here. In other words, Nanjing is the keystone of the entire defense line, the keystone."
Everyone looked at each other.
Xiang Xiaoqiang secretly cursed: It's not "The Da Vinci Code", how come the keystone is even out!
He does know what a keystone is. In the Middle Ages, when there was no reinforced concrete, the stone arches of cathedrals were built by using stones to form an arc, and a special-shaped stone was stuck at the top, which was the keystone. The keystone is the keystone, which bears all the lateral pressure of the entire stone arch. Once this stone is removed, the entire stone arch will collapse.
Zhu Yourong continued:
"Even if I want to withdraw from Nanjing, it cannot be now. If I withdraw now, it will be natural in the eyes of my dear friends, and probably nothing will be said to the soldiers guarding the defense line. But now the whole situation People on all lines of defense are in a state of flux. As long as I leave Nanjing, it will immediately be interpreted by the soldiers as a signal that they are ready to abandon Nanjing. How can we expect all the soldiers to use their lives? Can any of you guarantee to me that Nanjing can hold on for three days after I leave? "
Everyone was speechless. No one could guarantee it. Needless to say three days, it was hard to tell in one day. The panic atmosphere on the defense line at that time can be imagined now.
"Nanjing is the strongest place on the Yangtze River defense line, and defense sections that are weaker than here are all staring here. To them, Nanjing is a sign that the entire defense line is unconquerable. In their view, even if they are breached, Nanjing will Nor should it be breached. If Nanjing is breached and falls because of my departure, what impact will that have on the confidence of the entire defense line?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at Zhu Yourong's cheerful and determined expression, and then looked at Shen Rongxuan who was sitting with his eyes closed and concentrating, and knew that it was useless to say anything else. He was going to live and die with Nanjing.
However, Qiu Qiu was still packing her things at her father-in-law's place, waiting for him to join her, and then the whole family would retreat south together. Now he would be separated from her... probably forever.
If the inexperienced version of myself in the previous life would have asked now: Lord Shen, you are afraid that His Majesty is gone and it will have a big impact on the morale of the defense line. Are you not afraid that if Nanjing suddenly falls, His Majesty will fall into the hands of the Manchus, which will have a huge impact on the morale of the whole country? Is it bigger?
Emperor Guangwu of the Qing Dynasty said that he would spend New Year's Eve in the Nanjing Palace! Everyone knows that this is definitely not a joke! It is the 20th now, and the 23rd is the New Year's Eve. In other words, the Qing emperor is confident Capture Nanjing in three days!
But when Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at Shen Rongxuan sitting in the shadows, these words rushed to his chest several times and he finally swallowed them.
Zhu Yourong smiled and said:
"But you all cherish me and are worried about my safety. I also know that, and I understand your thoughts. Therefore, I plan to work with the Ming government to move into the Purple Mountain Fortress from now on. The Purple Mountain Fortress is impregnable and difficult to conquer, and It is the hub of the eastern section of the Yangtze River Defense Line. The passage under the mountain connects the entire eastern defense line. From there, you can reach Anqing, Tongling, Ma'anshan, Zhenjiang, Jiangyin, and Shanghai. Supply transportation is not a problem at all. Even the Purple Mountain Fortress is really there. When we can no longer hold on, I promise you that I will withdraw from the underground passage.
"In addition, there is a huge fort on the commanding heights of the mountain, which can overlook Nanjing City and the surrounding area for dozens of miles. Therefore, as long as the Purple Mountain Fortress is not lost, even if the Qing rebels attack the city, they will be unable to move forward and will be driven down the river by our army. Everyone. Dear Sir, as long as I am still in Nanjing, my army will definitely drive the Qing prisoners down the river!"
Everyone looked at each other and couldn't say anything. All the reasons they could give were refuted.
Several people looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang. Xiang Xiaoqiang was more trusted than Shen Rongxuan. Everyone expected this young man to come forward and expose Shen Rongxuan. Maybe there was hope for His Majesty to change his mind.
But Xiang Xiaoqiang just lowered his head, listened to his ears and nose, and his nose to his heart, as if he was trying to understand His Majesty's words.
...Sigh, this young man is young, but not stupid. Several old men thought this in their hearts, their eyes met each other, and they all said they had no idea.
…
"My lords, you can leave now."
Zhu Yourong said with satisfaction.
Shen Rongxuan, who had been silent until now, said:
"My lord, you can keep it for a while."
Zhu Yourong differed slightly and said with a smile:
"Since Shen Ge always has something to say, let Xiang Qing stay for now."
Several ministers looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang and Shen Rongxuan in surprise. They couldn't figure out what they were doing, so they all left.
Xiang Xiaoqiang himself was very surprised. He was in a state of confusion and uneasiness. He didn't know why the chief minister had left him behind.
I always thought that I was the commander of the People's Guard, and now that I was teaching His Majesty, I could rely on His Majesty's trust as a backing to challenge Shen Rongxuan. But now it seems that Shen Rongxuan's influence on the Queen is much greater than mine. Go up. He waved his sleeves gently, and he flew to the side like a feather.
…
Xiang Xiaoqiang followed Shen Rongxuan out of the Qianqing Palace and came to the stone railing in front of the palace. Surrounding the palace were several centuries-old trees, each of which was surrounded by iron chains and marked with the name of the tree on a small bronze plate. Era.
Shen Rongxuan put his hands on the white marble railing and looked down at these ancient trees. The fog was heavy, and the stone railing was very wet and cool, but he didn't seem to notice, holding on to it with both arms indifferently.
There was the rumble of artillery in the distance. Xiang Xiaoqiang was wrapped in a military coat, his head shrunk, and he stood behind him, anxiously waiting for him to speak.
"Xiao Xiang."
When Xiang Xiaoqiang heard that Shen Rongxuan had resumed calling him "Xiao Xiang", he felt relaxed for some reason. Now that there were only two of them, Shen Rongxuan would still call him "Master Xiang" with a smile. It's an ominous sign.
Shen Rongxuan asked:
"Do you still remember what you said when you first met me?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang was startled, recalling the time when he first came to Ming Dynasty, when he went to Dongchang to attend a meeting, and took the opportunity to pour tea before the meeting to express his loyalty to Shen Rongxuan.
Shen Rongxuan continued:
"I still remember every word of what you said at that time. When you recited the poem "Yangtze River" by Wen Tianxiang to me, to be honest, I was moved...I originally thought that among these people today, , If there is anyone who supports Your Majesty to stay in Nanjing, it should be you."
Xiang Xiaoqiang suddenly blushed, a strong sense of shame surged up in his heart, and he lowered his head, not knowing how to respond.
"Xiao Xiang, since you came to our Ming Dynasty, your performance has been very good. I always tell myself that I didn't see the wrong person at the beginning. Although we don't know where he comes from, we can't listen to what he says when looking at a person. Let’s see what he actually does. Your actual performance has won our trust and the trust of His Majesty. It’s a good thing for young people to be ambitious. It doesn’t even matter if they want to step on their seniors and climb up. Young people, I was like that when I was young. .......But now that the Ming Dynasty is in trouble, we can't think too much about our career and future, the gains and losses of honor and disgrace, and even our wealth and life...Since you like Wen Tianxiang's poems, you should know that he is the most famous poet. The famous poem is not "Yangtze River", but another one."
What he said made Xiang Xiaoqiang sweat profusely, and he was filled with shame, nervousness and even fear. There seemed to be something in Shen Rongxuan's words that made him feel like a thorn in his back. He always felt that something was wrong. But where it was, he couldn't think of it for a moment.
Xiang Xiaoqiang's mind went blank and he subconsciously said:
"What Mr. Shen said was "Crossing the Lingding Ocean"."
Shen Rongxuan turned around and smiled:
"Would you like to recite it to me and listen to it?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang took a deep breath and muttered:
"Once hard times have passed,
There are only a few stars scattered all around.
The mountains and rivers are broken and the wind flutters,
Life experience is full of ups and downs.
Afraid of the beach, said panic,
Ling Ding sighs in the ocean.
Since ancient times, no one has died.
Keep your loyalty and remember it for history."
…
Shen Rongxuan smiled and said:
"It's a good memorization. So, when this kind of enemy comes from the north, we can't just know 'will not rest until we point the direction', but also know 'no one has ever died in life since ancient times, and his loyalty will be remembered in history'."
Xiang Xiaoqiang's face turned red again, he lowered his head and said ashamedly:
"Mr. Shen is right, students will remember it."
Shen Rongxuan nodded, took out his pocket watch and looked at it:
"It's good to have this... It's getting late, I have to go to the headquarters. You should hurry up, you have a lot to do."
Xiang Xiaoqiang suddenly realized that the person in front of him was the Prime Minister of a country, the kind of person who has many things to do and a full schedule. After the "New Year's Coup", this was the first time he had said so many words to himself.
Before leaving, Shen Rongxuan patted his back and said with a smile:
"Xiao Xiang, I heard that you are very good at military affairs. We are all civil servants, so we are not as good as you in this regard. If the Qing rebels come over, it will be up to you to defend Nanjing. You must make good use of it."
Xiang Xiaoqiang felt hot in his heart, looked into Shen Rongxuan's eyes, and said quite solemnly:
"Students must live up to Duke Shen's trust."
…
Xiang Xiaoqiang watched as Shen Rongxuan's back disappeared into the white mist, and then he leaned weakly on the white marble railing. He found that his back was covered in cold sweat and his face was as hot as fire.
Shen Rongxuan's calculations to save his life never escaped Shen Rongxuan's eyes. After some persuasion, he was actually made to feel like a primary school student. Xiang Xiaoqiang suddenly felt unconvinced in his heart.
Why are you pretending to be the boss? It’s amazing. If I hadn’t staged the coup, how could you be the chief assistant?
Alas, but...
"This guy is indeed a hawk!"
Xiang Xiaoqiang said in his heart. Although he cherished his life a little, he considered himself a hawk. He hoped not to be looked down upon by Shen Yingying.
Suddenly, Shen Rongxuan's words echoed in his ears:
"Xiao Xiang, since you came to our Ming Dynasty, your performance has been very good. I always tell myself that I didn't see the wrong person at the beginning. Although we don't know where he comes from, we can't listen to what he says when looking at a person. See what he actually does."
..."Although we don't know where he came from"...
Xiang Xiaoqiang pondered these words, with cold sweat on his forehead.
Didn't Dongchang identify himself as a British intelligence officer at the beginning? Why did he say "I don't know where he came from"?
Maybe he deceived Jiang Meilu at that time, but never deceived Shen Rongxuan. Or maybe he deceived him at the time, but after investigation later, he found that there was no such person as him at all in the British Military Intelligence Agency.
I originally thought that the files of the British Military Intelligence Agency could not be checked by the Ming Dynasty Dongchang. But if I think about it carefully, are there no Dongchang spies in the British Military Intelligence Agency?
Shen Rongxuan might have been distracted by what he said just now, or more likely, he meant to give himself a nod.
He said, "You can't judge a person by what he says, but by what he actually does." He probably meant that it doesn't matter if you lied to us in the first place. As long as you perform well in the future, we won't care.
Xiang Xiaoqiang felt his heart beating very hard. He had greatly underestimated Shen Rongxuan.
…
Xiang Xiaoqiang returned to the Imperial Study Room to say goodbye to Zhu Yourong, and when he was about to exit, Zhu Yourong suddenly said:
"Xiang teacher!"
"Huh? Your Majesty."
"Oh, I just want to confirm. Teacher Xiang probably wants to cancel his leave, right?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang was startled:
"What? What fakes are you selling?"
Zhu Yourong blurted out:
"It's just... a wedding leave. Now that the war situation is tense, I'm afraid Teacher Xiang won't be able to get married, right?"
"Oh, that's what Your Majesty said," Xiang Xiaoqiang said with a gloomy heart, "I'm afraid we won't be able to get married for the time being."
Zhu Yourong laughed and said:
"Well, it's okay, I understand."
Xiang Xiaoqiang quit, a little dissatisfied with Zhu Yourong's attitude.
…
Xiang Xiaoqiang drove to Qiu Qiu's house, jumped out of the car and ran back in a hurry to get angry. Now he had to put the father and daughter on the train quickly, and then rushed back to the headquarters to hold a military meeting to urgently formulate a plan to defend the city of Nanjing. plan.
Qiu Laohu's brothers all paid travel expenses, and arranged for them to temporarily go to various halls in the south to escape, and then come back when the situation improved. Therefore, Qiu Mansion is now very deserted, with only a few old brothers who are close to him still there. They will follow Qiu Laohu and his daughter to Hangzhou to share the helm.
Qiu Qiu rushed out from the back hall, hugged Xiang Xiaoqiang tightly, buried her face in his chest, and after a long time, she raised her face and said happily:
"You really kept me waiting for a long time!... Everything is packed here and waiting for you. Let's go!"
Qiu Laohu also came out from the back of the hall. He was relieved when he saw his uncle and hurriedly asked him to go with him.
Xiang Xiaoqiang hugged Qiu Qiu's back tightly and said softly after a long time:
"Let's go, I'll take you to the station."
Qiu Qiu and Qiu Huhu were both startled. Qiu Qiu stared into his eyes, and an ominous feeling caught her. She trembled slightly and said:
"Take us to the station...what? You...don't want to leave?"
He nodded painfully to Xiaoqiang.
Qiu Qiu felt as if he had been stabbed, tears welled up in his eyes, and he shouted:
"Why?!"
"Because His Majesty has decided not to leave."
…
Xiang Xiaoqiang explained what happened to them, and Qiu Qiu understood that the matter was irreversible. She was about to separate from Xiang Xiaoqiang, and Xiang Xiaoqiang was likely to live and die with Nanjing City. She hugged Xiang Xiaoqiang and cried loudly.
Heartbroken.
Qiu Laohu's face was dark, uglier than the bottom of a pot. He sighed and persuaded his daughter, and then said to Xiang Xiaoqiang:
"My dear son-in-law, you are so familiar with His Majesty, why don't you go and talk about it?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang patted Qiu Qiu on the back and felt that his tears were about to fall. He held back and said:
"Hurry up, I'll take you to the station."
The station was crowded with people, and a train was lying on the railway track. The front of the train was breathing heavily, and milky white steam was rising straight upward. Every window of the carriage was filled with people, and people were constantly climbing up from the windows. Even
There were many people clinging to the roof of the car. They were lying on the luggage pile on the roof of the car, holding out their relatives and helping them climb up to the roof of the car.
The whole station was full of noises and cries, and the loudspeaker kept announcing train schedules, asking everyone not to worry. From time to time, a missing person notice was also broadcast...
When Qiu Huhu saw this situation, his heart immediately dropped. Leaving aside whether you can buy a ticket or not, what if you have a ticket? Can you get on the bus?
"Grandma," Qiu Laohu said bitterly, patting his bald head, "Daughter, we don't want to take the train anymore. We still have a car at home. Let's take the car to Hangzhou!"
Xiang Xiaoqiang said:
"No need, father-in-law. Your car doesn't have much gas. It can't reach Hangzhou. Now that we're fighting and we can't buy gas, what should we do if it's parked halfway?"
Qiuhuhu roared:
"Then what do you think we should do?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang looked around, suddenly raised his arm, and a junior officer immediately ran over, saluted first, and then said with a smile:
"Oh sir, you just came. Come on, come on, everyone is almost here. We will start driving in one hour."
After speaking, he looked at Qiu Qiu and Qiu Huhu, nodded and said with a smile:
"Madam, Mr. Qiu."
Normally, the word "Madam" would have made Qiu Qiu happy for a long time. But now this simple address suddenly intensified her pain of separation, and she almost shed tears again.
The officer led them down the platform, across the railway, around the train, and across several railways. The tragic Spring Festival Transport-like scene on the platform was far behind them.
Across the road in front of them was a very quiet train, with curtains drawn on every window. The officer led them past several carriages beside the railway track and came to the carriage door where two soldiers were standing guard.
"To your lord's family."
As the officer spoke, he took out his ID, and Xiang Xiaoqiang also took out his ID. After checking, the guard let them in.
The carriage was very warm, and although it was not a box, the rows of soft seats looked very comfortable. There were already many old, young, women and children sitting on the seats, all dressed in luxurious clothes, furs, silks, satins, and jewels. They were all the families of high-ranking Nanjing officers.
Everyone in the car was staring at Xiang Xiaoqiang and Qiu Qiu. Among these people, Qiu Qiu, who was only wearing a simple navy uniform, looked very shabby. But with his beautiful face and the fact that he was crying so hard now, in the car
But it was very dazzling. Many people looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang with some jealousy, wondering who this young officer was.
Xiang Xiaoqiang arranged Qiu Qiu and his daughter to their seats, then greeted the people on the left and right, announced his name, said that this was his wife and father-in-law, and asked them to take care of each other on the way.
Xiang Xiaoqiang's name was still very loud, and everyone in the carriage turned to look at him. There was also a little lolita who was about fourteen or fifteen years old and wanted to get his autograph excitedly, but her mother stopped her like an old hen.
Qiu Qiu sat quietly on the seat, with her legs together and her hands on her thighs, trying to look very ladylike and worthy of the status of "Mrs. Xiang". However, her face was pale and her eyes were red and swollen.
Xiang Xiaoqiang originally thought that Qiu Qiu would cry miserably at this time, but now it seems that it is not that serious, and he is half relieved.
The car was full of people, and it was not easy to hug or kiss. Xiang Xiaoqiang stood beside him for a while, reluctant to leave, but he kept reminding himself that the military meeting in the city could not wait any longer, as the war situation was changing rapidly.
He took out his pocket watch and took a look. Qiu Qiu raised his head and said:
"Xiaoqiang, you don't have to be here anymore. Don't worry, we are all fine... Go back quickly, we need you to defend Nanjing."
When she said the last sentence, her face was full of pride and she glanced around slightly.
Xiang Xiaoqiang was so moved that he ignored everything else and hugged Qiu Qiu for a deep kiss. Qiu Qiu was stunned and everyone in the car was envious.
After the kiss, he said "goodbye" to Xiaoqiang, hugged Qiu Huhu, and rushed off the train without looking back.
Qiu Qiu was still sitting in his seat obediently, but Qiu Laohu chased him to the carriage door, looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang’s back and shouted:
"My dear son-in-law, please take care of yourself——"
…
An hour later, the train slowly left the station and headed east.
A female orderly appeared at the front of the carriage and said respectfully:
"Gentlemen, ladies, and ladies, we have left the station now. If you want to use the bathroom, you can do so now."
Before he finished speaking, Qiu Qiu stood up and said:
"I'm going."
The sound was so loud that everyone in the car stared at her. Even Qiu Huhu, a big boss, was so ashamed that he glared at her daughter several times.
Qiu Qiu's face turned red and white, but his expression was nonchalant. He bit his lips and glanced at his father with tears in his eyes. He followed the female orderly to the bathroom in large strides. He kept wiping his tears with his hands, his back shaking.
It seemed that he was holding back his tears.
…
Because of the heavy fog, the train could not go too fast. The generals and their families on the train were silent, and the atmosphere was sad. Most of their husbands, fathers, and sons had stayed in Nanjing and lived and died with the capital.
At this moment, everyone in the car felt the same as Qiu Qiu.
The train left for more than half an hour, and the generals and their families were chatting quietly. During this period, several ladies got up and went to the bathroom, but "returned without success" every time. They all knew that the bathroom was occupied by the "Mrs. Xiang" just now
, but it is difficult to explain this kind of thing clearly, and dissatisfied eyes were stabbed at Qiu Huhu.
At this time, the passenger car compartments were not connected together like in later generations. Each compartment was separate and you could not go to other compartments to use the toilet. After more than an hour of this, an old lady finally couldn't help it anymore and bit the bullet.
Protested to Qiu Huhu and asked him to take care of his daughter.
Qiu Laohu also felt that the time was too long, so he went to knock on the door, but no answer came.
Qiu Laohu panicked, fearing that his daughter would be sad and commit suicide, so he raised his leg and kicked the door open.
The bathroom was empty, the car windows were wide open, and the curtains were flying up and down in the wind.
Qiu Laohu suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, his hands and feet were cold.
When I looked again, I saw a line of words written in lipstick on the mirror:
I went to find him. Dad forgives me. I can't live without him.